Machine for fastening the heads of cans to the bodies thereof.



N0.'74o,199, y PATENTED SEPT. 29, 190s.

- G. STBCHER. y MACHINE POR PASTBNING THB HEADSUP CANS To THE BGDIBS THERBOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL EEE l?" hul @hurled dtwhez" 'a l/ 4 7M Moraga:

PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

vNm 740,199.

c; lSSFBGHBP y MAGHINE PoR FASTENING THB HEADS 0F cANs To THB BoDIBs THEREGF.

APLIOATION FILED APR.' 25, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 HDEL.

No. 740,199; PATBNTED SEPT. 29, 1903..

- G. ST'EQHBR- MAGHINE EUR PASTBNING THE HEADS '0F CAMS To THE BODIES THBBBOF.

LPPLIOATIQN FILED APR. 25L 1902.

H0 MODEL.4 1 3' SHEETS-SHEET 3` ZM 'l' I l u y.. Y* @raw m: uonms Parras co, MOTU-UWG, WAS-maren, n c.

ire. 740,199.

UNITED n STATES Patented september 29, 190e.

LPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STECHER, E POINT EDWARD, CANADA, AssIeNo'R on Two. THIRDs To PETER .EIILEoRn OE NORTH PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, AND WILLIAM s. oUMMINe, oEoHIoAcO, ILLiNois.

MACHINE ron FAsIENINc lTHE HEADS 0E cANs I0 THE BoDlEs IHEREOF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,199, dated September 29, `1903.

Application filed AprilZ, 1902. 'Serial No. 104,536. A(lilo model.)

. for Fastening the Heads of Cans to the Bodies Thereof and I do hereby declare that the fol-W lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accomio panying drawings, and -to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in i the heads or caps of cylindric sheet-metal cans and like vessels to the bodies thereof; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 2o A machine embodying myinvention'embraces, in general terms, two opposing dies or two sets of opposing dies for operating on one or both ends of the cans, one or both of Vthe said dies or sets of dies being at least as long as the circumference of the largest can to be operated upon, so that each can as it passes through the machine will be given one entire rotation, thereby bringing all parts of the iange of the cap into rolling contact with 3o the crimping-dies. The machine illustrated embodies elongated stationary Idies and a series of connected movable dies, which move in a plane parallel with the plane of the stationary dies and between which and the stationary dies the anges of the heads or caps of the cans are crimped to fasten the same-to the bodies of the cans. The movable dies are connected together in the form of two endless chains, which are trained" around suit- 4o able driving-wheels, and saidvchains at one side thereof travel in straight lines parallel with'tle opposing stationary dies. The travel of the movable 'diesacts to rotate the cans or sheet-metal vessels" and carry the same forwardly through the machine. 'Said machine is providedwth a'deliverychiite, into whicht'he cans are fed and by"\vhich they are del'iveredtothespace 'between the stationary and movable dies, and with a'discharge-chute, 5o which-directs the oansaway from said dies.

'bodying my invention.

I have shown in the drawings one form of machine embodying my invention; but it will be understood that the structural details may be widely varied without departing from the spirit 0E the invention and that the main fea- 55 tures of the improvements herein described may be embodied in machines for eecting other work on cans and like sheet-metal vessels-such, for instance, as double-scathing lthe can heads or caps to the can-bodies. 6o

Such an application of the invention is shown vin my copending application, filed on the 9th day of May, 1902, Serial No. 106,539. machines for crimping or otherwise fastening In said drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal vertical section of a crimping-machine em- Fig. 2 is a. transverse vertical section thereof, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.` Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the receiving end of thel machine with the delivery-chute shown in section. Fig. 4 is 'a 7o Aperspective-view of one of the movable dies .separated from the others of its series. Fig. :5 is a longitudinal section of one end of the sheet-metal can to whichthe head or cap is .applied and before the flange thereof has been crimped upon the body. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the can after the crimping has been effected. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on lin'e 7 7.of Fig. l.v

As shown in said drawings, A designates 8o base. Said standards are connected at their upper ends by integral connecting-bars A2.

' B B designate two parallel horizontal upper die-bars, which are attached at their ends by bolts b3 to front and rear horizontal bars B' B', which extend transversely between and are attached at their outer ends to the upge right standards A' A by bolts b.

C C designate a plurality of lower connected movable dies which have the formof short links and are connected together at' their ends to form two endless chains, one located 9; beneath each die-bar B. The series of dies C on each side of the machine are connected togetherby link-bars C', the individual dies being pivoted to said link-bars, so as to flexibly connect `the dies in the manner of the loo links of a chain. For this purpose each die link or section is provided at one end with a notch c, as shown in Fig. 4, and at its other end with a reduced portion c', adapted to enter the notch of an adjacent die link or section, and said notched and reduced parts of the links are provided with apertures through which the link-bars C' extend when said dies are assembled in overlapping relation.

The working faces of the upper and lower dies B and C are made of the same shape in cross-section.` Said dies are each provided on its working face with a longitudinal depression or rabbet having vertical surfaces which'engage the heads or caps of the cans, and with generally horizontal surfaces which engage the iianges of the can-heads and the can-bodies. Said last-mentioned surfaces are not, however,exactl y horizontal, but are made deeper at their outer parts, or the parts near the vertical surfaces, than at their inner parts, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby they are inclined slightly upwardly and inwardly, so as to give a corresponding inward inclination to the anges of the heads, as shown in Fig. 6. The working faces of said dies preferably consist of separate steel facings b c6, which are attached to the bodies of the dies in any Suitable manner.

- The two series or chains of connected movable dies are given movement by being trained over front and rear sprocket-wheels D D', which are affixed to rotative shafts D2 D3, which are rotatively mounted in the standards A', as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. Said sprocket-wheels are provided with peripheral notches d, which are engaged by the link-bars C' outside of the dies C and by which positive movement is transmitted from the sprock et-wheels to the series of connected dies. The series of dies are driven through the medium of a belt wheel or pulley D4 on -the forward'shaft D2, as shown in Fig. l.

The upper laps of the connected dies travel in paths parallel with the upper die-bars B, and said upper laps are supported by means of parallel horizontal longitudinal bars A3, which are supported at their ends on inwardly-projecting parts or bosses ctfon the standards through which extend the shafts D2 D3, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. Said link-bars are preferably provided at their ends with antifriction-rollers c2, which roll which prevents endwise shifting of the linkbars, thereby preventing the lower series of dies C getting out of alinement with the upper dies. 1

E E designate horizontal parallel guidebars, which are located between the upper and lower dies and adapted. to engage the ends of the cans as they pass between said dies .and prevent said cans from shiftin g endwise.. Said guide-bars are attached to the vwardly and outwardly, as rdesired.

lower ends of vertical bars E' E', which latter are attached to the horizontal die-bars B by means of set-screws e extending through said bars and into the diehars B. The guide-bars E are adapted to be vertically adjusted for cans of different diameters, and for this purpose the bars E' are provided with slots through which the set-screws c extend, whereby said dies may be moved upwardly or downwardly to correspond with the diameters ot' the cans passing through the machine.

The upper and lower dies B and C are movable toward and away from each other to ac, commodate cans of different diameters and also adjustable for accommodating cans of dierent lengths. For the purpose of adjusting the dies for cans of varying diameters the upper die-bars B are mounted in the machine-frame so as to be moved toward and away from the lower series of dies. The means herein shown for effecting this result consists in providing the standards A' with vertical slots a', through which extend the bolts b', which attach the transverse die-supporting bars B to said standards. purpose of adjusting the dies to cans of different lengths one of the upper dies B-that at the right-hand side of the machine, as herein shown-is movable toward and from the other die, and this result is effected by providing the die-supporting members B' with longitudinal lslots b2, through which extend the attaching-bolts b3, by which said die-bar is connected with said transverse frame members. The corresponding series of die-links C are also movable laterally on the link-bars C', and for this purpose the links are attached to said link-bars by setscrews c7 in the manner shown in Fig. 2, which permits said die-links to be moved in- The cans are fed to the machines through a delivery-chute, (indicated as a whole by F,) which is suitably supported on the delivery end of the machine. Said chute is rectangular in cross-section and consists of four angle-bars fff', located one at each cornerv -front bars f' are movably fixed to said arms, whereby the chute may be adjusted for cans of varying diameters. For this purpose the yattaching-bolts f2 of the front chute-bars en- =gage longitudinal slots f3 in said arms F',

thereby permitting the front chute-bars to be moved toward and away from the rear chutebars. The lower ends of the bars ff are -curved inwardly to direct the cans to the space betweenA the upper and lower dies.

For the IOO with the upper transverse member A2 of they The rear bars f terminate in rear of the parallel portions of the connected series of dies C, so as to enable the can to engage said dies when delivered over the first horizontal dies of the series, and in order to prevent the cans dropping downwardly after they leave the forward ends of the rearmost chute-bars such chute is provided between said bars with a curved dat ,plate f4, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which is attached to one of said bars f, said guide-plate being extended 'forwardly to fully deliver the cans to the rearmost of the movable series of dies. The chute is also laterally adjustable to aceommodate cans of different lengths, andtwo of the bars ff' at one side of the chute are therefore movable toward and from the other pair of bars in a manner to vary the width of the chute. As a means providing for such lateral adjustment one of the arms F', supporting the corresponding barson the one side of theohute, is movably connected frame, said transverse member being herein shown as provided with two longitudinal slots a2, through which extend the bolts f5, by which the said arm F' is attached to the transverse member or bar.

In Figs. 5 and 6 are shown fragmentary views of cans adapted to be operated upon bythe machine describe`d,-Fig. 5 showing the head G ofthe can placed on the body G as it will be fixed thereto by the heading-machine and Fig. 6 illustrating the position vof the iiange g of said head after the can has passed through the crimping-.machine.-

In the operation of the machine the cans are fed continuously to the upper end of the chute F and are by said chute delivered to the receiving end ofthe machine into the space between vthe upper stationary dies and the lower movable dies and are carried forwardly by said movable dies until brought into contact with the rear-ends of the 4stationary dies. Said dies exert ay gripping pressure on the flanges g of the cans and press or crimp saidvanges upon the can-bodies. The gripping 4pressureexerted by said upper and lower dies upon the cans is sufficient to im-. partfrom the traveling dies'a rolling'move-` ment to thecans which carries the cansv through the machinefromone end to the other ofthe stationary dies.' The .length of' v the upper dies B is at least as great. and

preferably slightly greater thanathe circumference of the cans of greatest diameter which are passed through the machine, so that said cans of the greatest diameter will be given;

one entire rotation in their traverset-hrough the machine, whereby'all partsof the can heads are brought into crimping relation tol the dies. The receivingends of the .upper dies are preferably .slightly cutv away, as i shown iny Fig. 1,'so'as to enlarge the receiv-Y= ing-spacelfor the cans and to permit the can to readily enter between the dies. l. Y

An impor-taut feature of the construction 'adjustable parts.

v'of specific claims.

and operation of my improved machine is its'.

adaptability to operate upon .cans of varying:

diameters and lengths, as I am enabled thereby to adjust the machine to cans or like sheetmetal vessels of varying dimensions without thesubstitution oi' any ot' the parts of the machine. and by simple manipulation of the This feature of myinvention may be applied tomachines having dies of other form differently arranged from that herein shown.

The particular form-of the dies and the and embraces a small number of parts .which f are not likely to become disorganized.. So far as the compressing operation of the movable dies is concerned it is obvious that the same results may be attained by the use of rigid movable dies, which have a reciprocatory movement instead of a continuously-forward movement, as herein shown. Further.'- more, in the machine shownthe connected series of movable dies when parallel with the stationary dies and supported in opposing relation thereto by the bars A3 constitute,

in effect, two straight dies like the upper dies. So far as certain features of my invention are concerned both the upper and lower dies are flanged to constitute crimping-surfaces; but it is obvious that the cans may be crimped by the dies on one side of the machine only, the opposing dies in such instance constituting merely abutting surfaces to hold Jthe cans against the crimping-surfaces of the,

other dies. Y

y Preferably a discharge-chute is located atv the front end of the machine to discharge the cans at a distance from kthe machine. .Said chute is shown as formed by forwardly and downwardly curved extensions e3 of the side guide-bars E and similarly-curved angle-bars ci, located below the extensions e? and attached thereto by short plates e5, as shown in Fig. l. By reason of the fact that oneof the bars E is attached to the movable ydie- AbarfB and that a part o the chute is formed by an extension of the bar E so connected. with said movable die-bar said chute will be automatically adjusted to4 accommodate different-length cans at the same time the upper die-bar is adjusted for this purpose.

departingrfrom the'spirit of my invention, andI do not wish to be limited tosuch de- I claim as my inventioni 'Y .l 1.- Aimachineffor fastening the 'heads of .cylindri'c vcansand like sheet-metal vessels .to l'the bodies thereof, comprising aseries of dies ,connected to form an endless chain, means IIO A lThe structuralV details may be otherwise `varied than hereinabove set forthv without for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, and a die opposing and made of the same cross-section as that of said series of connected dies, between which the head-flanges of the sheet-metal vessel are compressed.

2. A machine for fastening the heads of cylindric cans and like sheet-metal vessels to the bodies thereof, comprising a series of dies connected end to end to form an endless chain, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, a straight die opposing and having the same cross-section as that of said series of dies, and parallel with a portion of the series of movable dies, and means for delivering cans between said opposing dies.

3. A machine for fastening the heads o f cylindric cans and like sheet-metal vessels to the bodies thereof, comprising a series of dies connected to form an endless chain, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, a die opposing and made of the same cross-section as that of said series of connected dies, between which the headflanges of the sheet-metalvessel are compressed and means for moving said dies toward and from each other to adjust the machine to vessels of varying dimensions.

4i. A machine for simultaneously fastening the heads of a cylindric sheet metal can or like vessel to the body thereof, comprising two series of dies connected to form two parallel endless chains, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, and two parallel stationary dies opposing and made of the same cross-section as that of said series of movable dies between which and the movable dies the head-flanges are compressed.

-5. A machine for simultaneously fastening the heads of a cylindric sheet-metal can or like vessel to the body thereof, comprising two series of dies connected to form two parallel endless chains, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, two parallel stationary dies opposing and made of the same cross-section as that of said se-4 ries of movable dies between which and the movable 4dies the headflanges are compressedfand means for continuously delivering cans between said opposing dies.

6. A machine for simultaneously fastening the heads of a cylindric sheet-metal can or like vessel to the body thereof, comprising two series of dies connected to form two endless chains, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, two parallel stationary dies opposing and made of the same cross-section as that of said series of movable dies and between which and the movable dies the head flanges are compressed, and means for Varying the distance between the stationary and movable dies to adjust the machine to cans of varying diameters.

7; A machine for simultaneously fasteningthe heads of a cylindric sheet-metal can or -like vessel to thebodythereof, comprising two series of dies connected to form two parallel endless chains, means-for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, two stationary dies opposing and made of the same crosssection as that of .said series of movable dies and between which and the movable dies the head-anges are compressed, and means for moving one of the stationary dies and one series of the movable dies toward and from the other stationary and movable dies to adjust the machine to cans of varying lengths.

8. A machine for simultaneously fastening the heads of a cylindric.sheetmetal can 0r like vessel to the body thereof, comprising two series of dies connected to form two parallel endless chains, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said series of dies, two parallel stationary dies opposing and made of the same cross-section as that of said series of movable dies and between which and the movabledies the head-flanges are compressed, means for varying the distance between said dies to adjust the machine to cans of varying dimensions, a chute for delivering the cans between the stationary and movable dies and means for Varying the dimensions of the chute to correspond with the adjustment of the dies.

9. A machine for simultaneously fastening the two heads of a cylindric can or like vessel to the body thereof, comprising a plurality of dies connected end to end in overlapping relation to form two endless series or chains, link-bars extending through openings in the overlapping parts 0f said dies for connecting the same together, rotative sprocket` wheels with which said link-bars are engaged, two parallel stationary dies opposing said series of movable dies and longitudinal bars or tracks on the machine-frame which support the ends of said link-bars. Y'

lO. A machine for simultaneously fastening the two heads of a cylindric sheet-metal can or like vessel to the body thereof, comprising a plurality of dies connected end to end in overlapping relation to form two series or chains, link-bars extending through openings in the overlapping parts of said dies for connecting the same together, rotative sprocket-wheels with which the link-bars are engaged, two stationary parallel dies opposing the series of movable dies, longitudinal bars or tracks on the machine-frame parallel with the movable dies and antifriction-rollers on the ends of said link-bars which rest and roll on said bars or tracks.

l1. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising two vertical standards at each end thereof,two cross-bars extending between said standards and vertically movable thereon, horizontal die-bars extending between and attached at their ends to said cross-bars, one of said die-bars being horizontally adjustable on said cross-bars and two series of IOO IIO

IZO

connected dies movable in paths parallel with said die-bars, said series of dies being movable toward and away from each other.

12. A machine for the 'purpose set forth comprising a frame having at its ends two horizontal, verticallyadjustable cross-bars, straight die-bars extending between and horizontally adjustable on said bars, a plurality of dies connected end to end to form two endless series or chains, and located beneath said die-bars, link-bars extending through openings in overlapping parts of said dies, and horizontal tracks on the frame on which said link-bars are supported as they pass beneath said die-bars.

13. A machine for the purpose set forth bars being movable with the vertically-ad.- justable set of dies.

14. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising two upper and two lower opposing, parallel dies between which the headflangesl of the can are compressed, means for adjusting said dies to accommodate cans of varying diameters and lengths, and a chute for delivering the cans to the space between said opposing dies comprising two pairs of bars arranged to form a rectangular chute, the bars of each pair being movable toward and away from each other and one pair of the bars being also movable toward and from the other pair,whereby the chute may be adjusted to cans of varying lengths and diameters.

In testimony that I personally claim the foregoing as my own invention I hereto ax my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of April, A. D. 1902.

CHARLES STECHER.

Witnesses:

JNO. M. GLEAsoN, DAVID A. FI'rzGIBBoN. 

